I'm new to using Photoshop (CS5) and am wondering what seasoned users have found to be their most successful workflow options when it comes to sharpening and producing really crisp images for web display. I'm assuming a good initial capture in-camera. Thanks in advance.

Are you just posting small low res images, or huge ones where details can be closely examined?Sharpening for web depends on a persons taste, I use Lightroom to post to my Smugmug account, and just pick standard sharpening for web use in my smugmug export panel. I have Photoshop, but always export edited images back to lightroom before I upload them.Try uploading images with different settings and see what you like.

- sharpen after you size down for web- unsharp mask-style sharpening (which I now do through PS smart sharpening, not the actual unsharp mask filter) with a low radius works well for sharpening the overall image to counteract the lack of in-camera sharpening for RAW- unsharp mask-style with high radius and low amount boosts local contrast, similar to "clarity" in LR and better looking in my opinion- high pass sharpening is great for bringing out edge detail, and personally I prefer to mask it in for areas that I want to draw more focus/attention to (i.e. the eyes in a portrait)

I would follow vlad's advice in total as a starting point when sharpening is desired. Personally however, I tend to sharpen different selected parts of the image in different ways and amounts, just as sharpening a lady's eyes is a good thing but pores are a no-no.

Logged

The things you do for yourself die with you, the things you do for others live forever. A man's worth should be judged, not when he basks in the sun, but how he faces the storm.http://1x.com/member/chauncey43

Some general sharpening advice:...high pass sharpening is great for bringing out edge detail, and personally I prefer to mask it in for areas that I want to draw more focus/attention to (i.e. the eyes in a portrait)

Definitely. High pass sharpening is kind of a secret formula that can really make an image pop. Like Vlad says, I like to create a high-pass layer and then mask out virtually everything but the eyes and maybe the lips, it's subtle but really works. I've even been able to save photos where the original focus was ever so slightly off.

It also works well on cars and metal objects, especially if you mask out everything but the edges. Be careful though, it can increase noise in the sky or restore all sorts of skin blemishes that you thought you had already fixed. Hence, the need for masking.

Highly recommend Scott Kelby's books for more tips on sharpening.

Here are a couple of examples that I did for my stepson and his girlfriend – starving actors in need of headshots.

Sharpening is almost always a good decision, especially right before you print. Some of the top photoshop guru's say you should first go into your image, run a noise program to remove noise (if any depending on ISO), then run a low localized sharpening to taste. If you have CS5 or CS6, the sharpening tool in the tools panel is good enough for localized sharpening (eyes, mouth, nostrils, etc...) Then do whatever other manipulations, if any, you wish to do... Then once it's ready to print, sharpen again, and then print. When you print, ink spreads (dot gain) and so even the crispest photo MAY look a hint softer than you would have expected at 100% viewing on photoshop... The second sharpening combats this, if desired. RAW or JPEG, that really doesn't matter. Once a raw file is processed, they basically are the same... Jpeg may not be as crisp or may be noisy, depending on your settings, but really it doesn't matter either way. Lastly, there are other plug-ins you can get like topaz detail or such where it can add that bit more detail from your image and add that bit more sharpening that you may or may not like... They give you options for small details (noise level), medium details, and large details... so you can determine which details are important to you. Hope that helps.

For general sharpening, Unsharp Mask is the way to go. Naturally, you can can go a lot further with a raw file exported to Photoshop as a 16 bit. I've tried to use the raw sharpening but, frankly, I hate it. The artefacts are hideous, and toning it back leaves you with not enough sharpening.

For advanced users, I'd recommend taking a look the Inverted High Pass technique but missing out the High Pass part and adding 3.5 radius of Guassian Blur instead.

Another is Frequency Separation but hiding the blurred Low Frequency Layer.

All these techniques can be found online; YouTube, RetouchPro, Model Mayhem, etc.

Also, for those with CS5 and newer, don't ignore the new and improved Sharpening tool found in the Tools Palette with the Brush, Crop Tool, etc.It has been vastly improved. Just make sure the Protect Tones box is checked.

Logged

Some cameras… With Canon written on them. Oh, and some lenses… Also with Canon written on them. Oh, and a shiny camera with Fuji written on it too...